In most instant messaging systems, the availability of a particular user to participate in an instant messaging session (also referred to as “activity status” or “availability status”) is reflected to other users of an instant messaging system by associating one of many variable status values with the user account. These status values assist other users in assessing whether it is possible for the other users to initiate an instant messaging session with the given user. For example, an “offline” status shows that a given user is not logged onto the system, thereby informing other users that any attempt to initiate an instant messaging session with the given user would be futile. An “online” status shows that a user is logged onto the system, and other users may assume that they are likely to get a response when they initiate an instant messaging session with the given user.
In some cases, an instant messaging system automatically assigns a certain status value to a user, and this automatic assignment of status can be very helpful in facilitating communication between users. For example, in most instant messaging applications, a user is given the ability to maintain a buddy list. A buddy is another user of the instant messaging application with which the user often exchanges instant messages. The instant messaging system might automatically assign a user an “online” status value when the user logs onto the system. At the same time, a buddy list typically actively displays the status of each buddy. By displaying the buddy list in an open window of a client device, a user has the ability to easily monitor the online status of the user's buddies; when the user notices that a particular buddy's status has changed from “offline” to “online”, the user can quickly initiate an instant messaging session with that particular buddy. In some instant messaging systems, an automatic assignment of status is only performed when the user has not previously designated an alternative status; in many cases, the user is able to override an automatically assigned status value by changing it to some other status value.
Although the indication of user status can be helpful in facilitating communication between users, it can also be disruptive to a user's productivity by distracting a user from other activities. Hence, many instant messaging systems allow a user to manually select from several possible status values. In some cases, various privacy-related status values can be selected that control whether other users are informed of a given user's current status. These status values restrict the other users from knowing the true status of the given user, thereby prohibiting those users from beginning an instant message conversation with the given user. For example, an “invisible” status hides a user's status from other users.
In other cases, various privacy-related status values can be selected that inform other users of the likelihood that they will be able to initiate an instant messaging session with a given user. For example, a “busy” status indicates that the given user is currently doing some other activity, while a “be right back” status would indicate to other users that the given user is temporarily away from his or her computer. As another example, a “do not disturb” status would indicate to other users that are interested in the given user's status that the given user does not want to be interrupted by instant messaging sessions. During any period in which the user has one of these status values, though, the user is able to monitor the status of other users or to have the ability to start instant messaging sessions with other users.
With reference now to the figures, FIG. 1A depicts a prior art network of data processing systems that can support instant messaging. Distributed data processing system 100 contains network 101, which is a medium that may be used to provide communications links between various devices and computers connected together within distributed data processing system 100. Network 101 may include permanent connections, such as wire or fiber optic cables, or temporary connections made through telephone or wireless communications. In the depicted example, server 102 and server 103 are connected to network 101 along with storage unit 104. In addition, clients 105-107 also are connected to network 101. Clients 105-107 and servers 102-103 may be represented by a variety of computing devices, such as mainframes, personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc. Distributed data processing system 100 may include additional servers, clients, routers, other devices, and peer-to-peer architectures that are not shown.
Distributed data processing system 100 may include the Internet with network 101 representing a worldwide collection of networks and gateways that use various protocols to communicate with one another, such as Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Common Presence and Instant Messaging (CPIM) protocols, etc. Of course, distributed data processing system 100 may also include a number of different types of networks, such as, for example, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN). For example, server 102 directly supports network 110, which incorporates wireless communication links. Network-enabled phone 111 connects to network 110 through wireless link 112, and PDA 113 connects to network 110 through wireless link 114. Phone 111 and PDA 113 can also directly transfer data between themselves across wireless link 115 using an appropriate technology, such as Bluetooth wireless technology, to create so-called personal area networks (PAN) or personal ad-hoc networks. In a similar manner, PDA 113 can transfer data to PDA 107 via wireless communication link 116.
With reference now to FIG. 1B, a diagram depicts a typical computing device, such as those shown in FIG. 1A, which can facilitate instant messaging. Computing device 105 includes one or more central processing units (CPUs) 122 connected to internal system bus 123, which interconnects random access memory (RAM) 124, read-only memory 126, and input/output adapter 128, which supports various I/O devices, such as printer 130, disk units 132, or other devices not shown, such as a audio output system, etc. System bus 123 also connects communication adapter 134 that provides access to communication link 136. User interface adapter 148 connects various user devices, such as keyboard 140 and mouse 142, or other devices not shown, such as a touch screen, stylus, microphone, etc. Display adapter 144 connects system bus 123 to display device 146.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware in FIG. 2 may vary depending on the system implementation. For example, the system may have one or more processors, such as an Intel™ Pentium™ based processor and a digital signal processor (DSP), and one or more types of volatile and non-volatile memory.
A typical operating system may be used to control program execution within each data processing system. For example, one device may run a Unix operating system, while another device contains a simple Java runtime environment. A representative computer platform may include a browser, which is a well known software application for accessing hypertext documents in a variety of formats, such as graphic files, word processing files, Extensible Markup Language (XML), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML), Wireless Markup Language (WML), and various other formats and types of files.
With reference now to FIG. 2, a block diagram depicts a typical instant messaging system. Typical instant messaging systems have characteristics of a client/server organization and a peer-to-peer organization. Instant messaging (IM) server 200 authenticates a user of an instant messaging application, such as instant message application instances 202 and 204. IM server 200 is conveniently connected to computing devices that host the instant messaging application over a network. After authenticating a user, the instant messaging server will perform certain operations on behalf of the instant messaging application. In this manner, an instance of an instant messaging application operates as an instant messaging client. The instant messaging server maintains some type of session for each active instant messaging client, which eventually logs out from the session or allows the session to undergo a timeout termination.
However, after being initialized with certain information, depending on the communication protocol, active instant messaging clients can communicate directly with each other by transferring instant messages directly to another active instant messaging client without assistance from the instant messaging server. In this manner, the separate instances of the instant messaging application act as peer nodes in a peer-to-peer network. Many instant messaging systems employ proprietary protocols, although standard instant messaging protocols have been proposed, e.g., Crocker et al., “Common Presence and Instant Messaging (CPIM)”, Internet Draft of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), draft-ietf-impp-cpim-03.txt, 08/2002.
For example, assuming that a user has previously registered for an account with the instant messaging server, a user logs into the instant messaging server through an instant messaging application on a client device. The instant messaging server stores the connection information for the client device, such as the IP address of the client device and the port number that is assigned to the instant messaging application at the client device.
During the login operation, the instant messaging server also receives and stores an IM contact list, often referred to as a buddy list, for the user along with the user's connection information and other session information. The server performs an initial check to obtain the status of the users in the buddy list and notifies the user's active instant messaging client of the status of those users, e.g., whether those users are online and available for communication through the instant messaging system. The server monitors these buddy lists such that when a user logs into the instant messaging system, the server notifies anyone who has the recently logged-in user within a buddy list that the recently logged-in user is now online or is associated with some other type of status.
Assuming that a buddy has not chosen to remain cloaked within an “invisible” status, when the instant messaging server notifies a first instant messaging client that a second instant messaging client is online, the instant messaging server sends the connection information for the second instant messaging client to the first instant messaging client and perhaps vice versa depending upon the online status of the user. Because each active instant messaging client has connection information for other active instant messaging clients in the instant messaging system, these instant messaging clients can transfer instant messages between themselves without interaction with the instant messaging server, i.e. in a peer-to-peer manner.
A certain user can define one or more alerts to be generated in response to an availability of another user to participate in an instant messaging session. Thus, if the other user becomes available, becomes unavailable, goes offline, and the like, the certain user can receive an alert.
FIG. 3 illustrates a typical prior art graphical user interface window 201 for defining an alert. Window 201 is presented on a display device connected to a data processing system on which an instance of an instant messaging application is executing for a user. In a typical fashion for an instant messaging application, window 201 contains several user interface controls for defining the alert. Drop-down menu 203 contains the event (related to the availability of the other user) that shall trigger the alert. Area 205 (which is currently empty) should list previously defined alerts. Typically, each alert is defined by the name of the event that should trigger the alert, recurrence information and optional notes.
Next button 207 and back button 209 are used for scrolling between different windows of the instant messaging application GUI windows. Cancel button 210 is used to cancel a definition of an alert.
The other user is not aware of the alert that is defined by the certain user. This asymmetry can lead to unpleasant situations.
There is a growing need to provide a more symmetrical instant messaging system.